Oblivious?
by browneyednerd
Summary: A history of PB&J, from an unlikely source. EDIT: I didn't realize until after posting that I had made it completely impossible to identify the narrator. Not my intent, I assure you. It was supposed be ALMOST impossible.


My job is ridiculously easy. I am sure I could be replaced with a monkey. A monkey would probably do a better job than I do, but never mind. In order to stave off the mind-crushing boredom that comes with working in this hellhole, I watch the others, what they do, how they act. They don't know, of course. They think I'm off in my own little world. It's amazing what you can get away with when everyone thinks you're a complete nut job. I even manage to fool the cameras, and _that_ is not easy, let me tell you. It's harder to fool one or two people than a group. If one person in a group suspects that you're pretending, then that person will probably stay quiet for fear of being wrong. If a whole bunch of people think you're pretending…you're screwed.

There are two that I watch more than the others, because their actions and interactions are always interesting and usually baffling. I've always known about their feelings, but I can't say I knew before they did. I've had a lot of practice watching people; I knew exactly how to interpret what I saw and what I heard when it happened. I know that he fell as soon as he saw her and that she followed him shortly after. I also know that they both knew exactly what had happened. But they didn't admit anything for a long time, even to themselves. She preferred definite safety to possible happiness. He cared about her desires more than his.

Over the years, I watched them dance a careful dance that they made up as they went along. I watched them occasionally mess up a step and come close to admitting their feelings, but they always managed to fix the holes in their little bubbles of denial.

I saw her in the conference room when she had to watch all the previous Dundies. Every time she came to her Dundie, she would briefly look pained before fast forwarding through the scene. I managed to overhear him ensuring that she wouldn't get that stupid award. I was touched. As I had many times before, I wondered how she could be so blind.

On the Booze Cruise, I caught his hesitation before he said he would save the customer. I also overheard him later say he would save the receptionist. I even managed to catch the conversation where he half-confessed his feelings and actually got some good advice from The Idiot. That made me happy until her security blanket set a date for the wedding. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so dejected.

After his feelings were inadvertently revealed to the others, I was convinced that their dance would end and they would confess their feelings. I was supremely disappointed when he denied it, she believed him, and the environment returned to quasi-normal.

During the drug testing madness, he stayed quiet. I eventually figured out that she had jinxed him and for some reason he didn't buy her a Coke until the end of the day. In his talk with the camera, he mentioned a certain person carrying around a coffee cup filled with his own urine and wondered what he was getting out of his relationship with the Idiot. I wondered whether he had thought to ask that question about himself.

Then came Casino Night. As I snatched chips from various tables, I watched him lose on purpose so that she would laugh. I watch her stay when her fiancé left. They obviously don't know this, but I was in the parking lot when he told her. I wanted to go up to him and say,_ Buddy, it's about damn time._

I could not believe she rejected him. I couldn't fathom why she would turn down someone who had listened and consoled and amused and simply _been_ there for years. Are safety and familiarity really worth more?

On Beach Day, when she stood up and spoke her mind, I thought I was going to fall out of my chair. I was—there's no other word for it—_proud_ of her for saying that it hurt her when none of us showed up for her art show. I could not believe she had the courage to tell him that she missed the person her best friend had been and that she had called off her wedding because of him. In my opinion, she admitted her feelings right then and there. Why would she have called off her wedding because of him if she wasn't in love with him? She went off to soak her feet and he went after her. We all watched them very closely, but all they did was talk. If everyone else hadn't been there, I would have gone over and tried to talk some sense into them.

Judgment Day (as I had dubbed it) rolled around soon after, and I could tell she was grateful for all the chaos. It let her hide how much she worried that he would take the job. I don't think she got anything done all day. Well, none of us did, but that's beside the point.

He came back at the end of the day, ignored everyone's questions, and walked straight into the conference room, where she was being interviewed. I heard him give a meaningless apology to the cameraperson before asking if she was available for dinner. She immediately said yes. After he left the room, I heard her ask for a repeat of the question; I could hear the smile in her voice. As she went back to her desk, her smile looked too big for her face. Pretty much any little thing can make me happy at this point in my life, so that smile put me in a good mood that lasted the rest of the day and through the weekend.

When I found out they were engaged, I was over the moon. I have never seen two people more perfect for each other. I hope they know that what they have is very hard to find and they should hold on to it. I think they know that on some level.

She's pregnant. The way they are about each other, I know they're going to be absolutely _crazy_ about this kid. Not every child gets two loving parents, but I know theirs will.

Their story isn't over. But one of the chapters is. I can't wait to find out what happens next.


End file.
